CEILING

Returns a number rounded up to a multiple of another number.

Syntax:

CEILING(number, mult, mode)

number is the number that is to be rounded up to a multiple of mult.If mode is zero or omitted, CEILING rounds up to the multiple above (greater than or equal to) number. If mode is non-zero, CEILING rounds up away from zero. This is only relevant with negative numbers. Use mode=1 for compability if you have negative numbers and wish to export to MS Excel. In MS Excel this function only takes two arguments.

Example:

CEILING(4, 3)

returns 6, because 2*3 = 6 is the next multiple of 3 above 4.

CEILING(6, 3)

returns 6.

CEILING(-11, -2)

returns -10, rounding to the multiple above.

CEILING(-11, -2, 1)

returns -12, because with mode=1 the function rounds away from zero.

Application:

Imagine you are a teacher, and you need to calculate the number of buses required to take your students on a field trip. Each bus has a maximum capacity of 30 students. The number of buses must be a whole number, as you can't book a fraction of a bus.

Here's how the CEILING function helps:

The Scenario:

You have several classes going on the trip, and the number of students in each class varies. You need to calculate the number of buses needed for each class.

The Rule:

Number of Buses = CEILING (Total Students / Bus Capacity)

The Table:

	Class	Number of Students	Bus Capacity	Calculation	Number of Buses Needed
	A	B	C	D	E
1	A	28	30	CEILING(28 / 30) = CEILING(0.933...)	1
2	B	59	30	CEILING(59 / 30) = CEILING(1.966...)	2
3	C	60	30	CEILING(60 / 30) = CEILING(2)	2
4	D	85	30	CEILING(85 / 30) = CEILING(2.833...)	3

Explanation:

Class A: Even though 28 students only fill a portion of the bus, you still need one full bus to transport them all. The CEILING function rounds the result up to the next whole number (1).
Class B: With 59 students, you need one bus and almost a second one. Since you can't have part of a bus, the CEILING function rounds the result up to 2 buses.
Class C: Exactly 60 students perfectly fill two buses. The CEILING function correctly rounds the result up to 2, as it doesn't need to go to the next integer.
Class D: You need two full buses and a third to accommodate the remaining students. The CEILING function rounds the result up to 3.

This application for the CEILING function demonstrates how the CEILING function is crucial for situations where you need to round a number up to the nearest integer, especially when dealing with discrete units like buses, boxes, or groups.